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Fujifilm FinePix S3 Pro Review

  • Overview
  • Alternatives
  • Lenses
    • Fujifilm S3 Pro

    Main Features

    • 6MP - APS-C CCD Sensor
    • ISO 100 - 1600
    • 2″ Fixed Type Screen
    • Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder
    • continuous shooting
    • No Video Mode
    • 930g. 148 x 135 x 80 mm
    • Weather Sealed Body
    • Replaced Fujifilm S2 Pro
    • Replaced by Fujifilm S5 Pro
    $599.99
    or
    CHECK TODAY's PRICE

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    Fujifilm S3 Pro Overview

    First introduced in March 2005 , Fujifilm FinePix S3 Pro is a 6.0MP Pro DSLR camera with a APS-C (23 x 15.5 mm ) sized CCD sensor. Fujifilm replaced the older Fujifilm S2 Pro with this model and later S3 Pro was replaced with Fujifilm S5 Pro. Follow the links to compare these cameras in detail:
    Compare Fujifilm FinePix S3 Pro vs Fujifilm S2 Pro
    Compare Fujifilm FinePix S3 Pro vs Fujifilm S5 Pro
    or try our multi-camera comparison:
    Compare Fujifilm FinePix S3 Pro vs S2 Pro vs S5 Pro

    Fujifilm S3 Pro has an Overall Score of 47/100 and ranked #164 out of 200 in DSLR cameras (Top 10 DSLR), and ranked #595 out of 1157 in all Cameras (Top 10 Overall).

    Fujifilm S3 Pro Type Scores
    Imaging
    Features
    Value for Money
    Portability
    Overall Score
    Check our Smart Finder Tool to filter, sort and compare all digital cameras

    Fujifilm S3 Pro Compared to other DSLR Cameras

    Now let's get in to more details of our Fujifilm S3 Pro review by analysing its specs and features and listing out its pros and cons compared to average competitor cameras in its class.

    PROs
    Optical Built-in Viewfinder
    Environmental Sealing
    Top LCD Display
    Flash Sync Port

    Buy Fujifilm S3 Pro from or B&H PHOTO


    CONs
    No Wireless Connection
    No Image Stabilization
    No Articulating Screen
    No Full HD Video
    No Touch Screen
    No Face Detection Focusing
    Low Resolution Sensor: 6.0MP
    Max Sensitivity only ISO 1.600
    Small LCD Screen ( 2″)
    Low Screen Resolution ( 235kdots )
    Heavy Body: 930g
    Poor Low Light Performance
    No AF Micro Adjustment
    Fujifilm S3 Pro Lens Mount and Lenses

    Fujifilm S3 Pro has a Nikon F lens mount and currently there are 287 native lenses available for this mount. Fuji is well regarded with the quality of their optics and the large selection of fast high quality prime lenses especially in the wide and normal focal range. X Mount is also well supported by offerings from third-party manufacturers. Using suitable lens mount adapters, you can also have access to hundreds of lenses from other mounts.

    Fujifilm S3 Pro doesn't have a sensor based image stabilization system but 88 of these lenses already comes with Optical Image Stabilization. There are also 65 lenses with weather sealing for S3 Pro that you can couple with its weather sealed body.

    Here are some of the most popular Fujifilm S3 Pro Lenses on Camera Decision:

    Popular Fujifilm S3 Pro Lenses
    Model Focal Length on S3 Pro Max Aperture Weight Focusing Price
    Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-300mm F3.5-6.3G ED VR
    		 27-450mm F3.5 - F6.3 550gr AF $596.95
    Nikon AF Nikkor 70-300mm f4-5.6G
    		 105-450mm F4.0 - F5.6 425gr AF $133.99
    Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f1.4G
    		 75mm F1.4 290gr AF $376.95
    Nikon AF Nikkor 80-400mm f4.5-5.6D ED VR
    		 120-600mm F4.5 - F5.6 1340gr AF $1,619.99
    Tamron SP 150-600mm F5-6.3 Di VC USD
    		 225-900mm F5.0 - F6.3 1951gr AF $1,089.00

    Check our Fujifilm S3 Pro Lenses page or use our Smart Lens Finder tool for more detailed lens search.

    Fujifilm S3 Pro Sensor and Photography Features

    Fujifilm S3 Pro has a 6.0MP APS-C (23 x 15.5 mm ) sized CCD sensor . You can shoot at maximum resolution of 4256 x 2848 pixels with aspect ratios of and 3:2. S3 Pro has a native ISO range of 100 - 1600 and it can save files in RAW format which gives you a wider room for post processing.

    Fujifilm S3 Pro is not the highest resolution APS-C camera. Sigma Quattro with its 29.0MP sensor is leading in this class. Check the comparison of Fujifilm S3 Pro vs Sigma Quattro or take a look at Highest resolution DSLR cameras list.

    DxOMark Sensor Scores

    DxOMark is a benchmark that scientifically assesses image quality of camera sensors. Fujifilm S3 Pro sensor has been tested by DxO Mark and got an overall score of 60 for its image quality. You can find the details of their analysis of Fujifilm S3 Pro here.

    Let's look at how the size of the Fujifilm S3 Pro's APS-C sensor compares with other standard sensor sizes.

    Fujifilm S3 Pro Sensor Size Comparison

    Fujifilm S3 Pro Physical Specs
    Fujifilm S3 Pro weighs 930 g (2.05 lb / 32.80 oz) and has external dimensions of 148 x 135 x 80 mm (5.83 x 5.31 x 3.15″). Considering that the average weight of DSLR type cameras is 771g, Fujifilm S3 Pro is a significantly heavy camera for its class. With a thickness of 80mm, it has an average thickness.
    Weight Comparison

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    Fujifilm S3 Pro
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    Thickness Comparison

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    Here is the front and top view image of Fujifilm S3 Pro with the dimensions:

    In order to give you a better idea about the real life size of Fujifilm S3 Pro, we have added an image of how it looks next to a credit card and an AA type battery.


    Fujifilm S3 Pro Real Life Body Size Comparison


    Now lets compare the weight and thickness of Fujifilm S3 Pro with its main competitors:

    Fujifilm S3 Pro Size Compared to Main Competitors
    Model Sensor Weight vs S3 Pro Thickness vs S3 Pro
    Fujifilm S5 Pro 6.0MP - APS-C 920g 10g lighter 74mm 6mm thinner
    Fujifilm S2 Pro 6.0MP - APS-C 850g 80g lighter 80mm equal thickness
    Nikon D2X 12.0MP - APS-C 1200g 270g heavier 86mm 6mm thicker
    Nikon D1X 5.0MP - APS-C 1200g 270g heavier 85mm 5mm thicker
    Nikon D700 12.0MP - Full frame 1074g 144g heavier 77mm 3mm thinner
    Nikon D3 12.0MP - Full frame 1300g 370g heavier 88mm 8mm thicker
    Nikon D3S 12.0MP - Full frame 1240g 310g heavier 88mm 8mm thicker
    Pentax 645Z 51.0MP - Medium format 1550g 620g heavier 123mm 43mm thicker

    Fujifilm S3 Pro has environmental sealings on its body which makes it a weather resistant camera. If you like outdoors photography and want to be able to use your camera in extreme conditions, Fujifilm S3 Pro will serve you well. If you attach one of these Fujifilm S3 Pro weather Sealed lenses to S3 Pro you will have a great all weather kit.

    Fujifilm S3 Pro Other Features
    LCD and Viewfinder

    Fujifilm S3 Pro has a Fixed Type 2″ LCD screen with a resolution of 235k dots. At only 2″, the screen is on the smaller side and 235kdot resolution is lower than most of the recent models in this class.



    S3 Pro has a built-in Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder. The viewfinder has a coverage of 94%. 94% coverage means that what you see in your viewfinder while shooting will slightly be different from the actual image.

    Max Shutter speed
    Fujifilm S3 Pro can shoot continuously at max speed of and has max shutter speed of 1/4000 sec.

    Flash
    S3 Pro has a built-in flash, and it also has a flash shoe to mount your external flashes too.

    Focusing
    Fujifilm S3 Pro features a Phase Detection autofocusing system.

    Video Features
    Unfortunately Fujifilm S3 Pro doesn't have Video recording ability.

    Connectivity and Storage

    Fujifilm S3 Pro has a USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) port to connect your camera to other devices.

    Fujifilm S3 Pro Features Compared to Main Competitors
    Model Max Video Battery Life Wi-fi Bluetooth NFC
    Fujifilm S5 Pro
    >>Compare to S3 Pro     		None shots No No No
    Fujifilm S2 Pro
    >>Compare to S3 Pro     		None shots No No No
    Nikon D2X
    >>Compare to S3 Pro     		None shots No No No
    Nikon D1X
    >>Compare to S3 Pro     		None shots No No No
    Nikon D700
    >>Compare to S3 Pro     		None 1000shots No No No
    Nikon D3
    >>Compare to S3 Pro     		None 4300shots No No No
    Nikon D3S
    >>Compare to S3 Pro     		1280 x 720 4200shots No No No
    Pentax 645Z
    >>Compare to S3 Pro     		1920 x 1080 650shots No No No

    Lowest Price
    Current Lowest price for Fujifilm S3 Pro is $0.00

    What type of Photography is Fujifilm S3 Pro Good for?
    In this section, we review and score Fujifilm S3 Pro in 5 different photography areas. This first spider web graph shows how the S3 Pro compares with the average DSLR camera.
    Hover your mouse over the points to see the score details for each photography type.

    Fujifilm S3 Pro for Portrait Photography

    Fujifilm S3 Pro has a score of 51 for Portrait Photography which makes it an AVERAGE candidate for this type of photography. If Portrait is important for you, we recommend you to check our Top DSLR Cameras for Portrait Photography list.
    Large APS-C (23 x 15.5 mm) sensor
    Optical Built-in Viewfinder
    Good Ergonomics&Handling
    Very Low Resolution Sensor: 6.0MP
    No Image Stabilization

    Read the details of how we scored Fujifilm S3 Pro for Portrait Photography

    Fujifilm S3 Pro for Street Photography

    Fujifilm S3 Pro has a score of 43 for Street Photography which makes it an AVERAGE candidate for this type of photography. If Street is important for you, we recommend you to check our Top DSLR Cameras for Street Photography list.
    Optical Built-in Viewfinder
    Large APS-C (23 x 15.5 mm) sensor
    No Live-view
    No Image Stabilization
    Large Body

    Read the details of how we scored Fujifilm S3 Pro for Street Photography

    Fujifilm S3 Pro for Sports Photography

    Fujifilm S3 Pro has a score of 72 for Sports Photography which makes it a GOOD candidate for this type of photography. If you are looking for a camera that is better suited to Sports Photography, we recommend you to check our Top 10 DSLR Cameras for Sports Photography list.
    Environmental Sealings
    Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
    Good Ergonomics&Handling
    Optical Built-in Viewfinder
    Focus Points
    No Image Stabilization

    Read the details of how we scored Fujifilm S3 Pro for Sports Photography

    Fujifilm S3 Pro for Daily Photography

    Fujifilm S3 Pro has a score of 56 for Daily Photography which makes it an AVERAGE candidate for this type of photography. If Daily is important for you, we recommend you to check our Top DSLR Cameras for Daily Photography list.
    Environmental Sealings
    Large APS-C (23 x 15.5 mm) sensor
    Large Body
    930g
    Body Thickness 80mm

    Read the details of how we scored Fujifilm S3 Pro for Daily Photography

    Fujifilm S3 Pro for Landscape Photography

    Fujifilm S3 Pro has a score of 43 for Landscape Photography which makes it an AVERAGE candidate for this type of photography. If Landscape is important for you, we recommend you to check our Top DSLR Cameras for Landscape Photography list.
    Large APS-C (23 x 15.5 mm) sensor
    Environmental Sealings
    No Live-view
    Very Low Resolution Sensor: 6.0MP

    Read the details of how we scored Fujifilm S3 Pro for Landscape Photography

    Fujifilm S3 Pro Alternatives
    In this section, we analyse how Fujifilm S3 Pro compares with other DSLR cameras within a similar price range. In the Bubble chart below, you can see Overall Score vs Price comparison of S3 Pro and the top 10 contenders in the same range. Hover your mouse on the bubbles to see the details of the cameras.
    Read a more detailed analysis of Fujifilm S3 Pro alternatives.
    Popular Comparisons of Fujifilm S3 Pro
    Here is the eight most popular comparisons of Fujifilm S3 Pro amongst Camera Decision readers.

    Fujifilm S5 Pro
    Fujifilm S5 Pro
    Compare
    Fujifilm S2 Pro
    Fujifilm S2 Pro
    Compare
    Nikon D2X
    Nikon D2X
    Compare
    Nikon D1X
    Nikon D1X
    Compare
    Nikon D700
    Nikon D700
    Compare
    Nikon D3
    Nikon D3
    Compare
    Nikon D3S
    Nikon D3S
    Compare
    Pentax 645Z
    Pentax 645Z
    Compare
    Fujifilm S3 Pro Alternatives in Mirrorless Cameras
    It would also be interesting to compare Fujifilm S3 Pro with Mirrorless Cameras. Below we have listed 4 highest ranked Mirrorless cameras in Fujifilm S3 Pro's price range.

    Nikon Z 6
    Nikon Z 6
    Compare
    Sony A7R II
    Sony A7R II
    Compare
    Sony A7 III
    Sony A7 III
    Compare
    Samsung NX1
    Samsung NX1
    Compare
    Olympus E-M1 II
    Olympus E-M1 II
    Compare
    Sony A7 II
    Sony A7 II
    Compare
    Sony A7R
    Sony A7R
    Compare
    Panasonic G9
    Panasonic G9
    Compare
    Frequently Asked Questions about Fujifilm S3 Pro
    Does the Fujifilm S3 Pro have Image Stabilization?
    Does the Fujifilm S3 Pro have RAW support?
    Does the Fujifilm S3 Pro have Weather Sealing?
    Does the Fujifilm S3 Pro have built-in GPS?
    What is the Max ISO of Fujifilm S3 Pro?
    What is the Sensor Size of Fujifilm S3 Pro?
    is the Fujifilm S3 Pro a Full Frame (FF) camera?
    Does the Fujifilm S3 Pro have Touch Screen?
    Does the Fujifilm S3 Pro have built-in Wireless?
    What is the Max Continuous Shooting Speed (fps) of Fujifilm S3 Pro?
    Fujifilm FinePix S3 Pro Detailed Specifications

    General
    Brand Fujifilm
    Model Fujifilm FinePix S3 Pro
    Announced 2005-03-16
    Body Type Large SLR"
    Price $0.00
    Lens
    Manual Focus
    Lens Mount Nikon F
    Number of Lenses 287
    Focal Length Multiplier 1.5×
    Macro Focus Range n/a
    Screen
    Screen Type Fixed Type
    Screen Size 2″
    Screen Resolution 235k dots
    Live View
    Touch Screen
    Viewfinder
    Viewfinder Optical (pentaprism)
    Viewfinder Resolution no electronic viewfinder
    Viewfinder Coverage 94%
    Viewfinder Magnification n/a
    Photography Features
    Min Shutter Speed 30s
    Max Shutter Speed 1/4000s
    Continuous Shooting n/a
    Shutter Priority
    Aperture Priority
    Manual Exposure Mode
    Exposure Compensation Yes
    Custom White Balance
    Image Stabilization
    Built-in Flash
    Flash Range 15.00 m
    Max Flash Sync 1/180s
    Flash Modes Auto, On, Off, Red-eye reduction, Slow Sync
    External Flash
    AE Bracketing
    WB Bracketing
    Exposure Modes
    Multi-Segment
    Average
    Spot
    Partial
    AF-Area
    Center Weighted
    DxO Sensor Scores
    DxO Overall Score 60
    DxO Color Depth 20.9
    DxO Dynamic Range 13.5
    DxO Low Light ISO 346
    Report a correction

    Sensor
    Sensor Type CCD
    Sensor Size APS-C
    Sensor Dimensions 23 x 15.5 mm
    Sensor Area 356.50mm2
    Sensor Resolution 6 megapixels
    Max Image Resolution 4256 x 2848
    Max Native ISO 1,600
    Min Native ISO 100
    RAW Support
    Autofocus
    AF Touch
    AF Continuous
    AF Single
    AF Tracking
    AF Selective
    AF Center
    AF Multi Area
    AF Live View
    AF Face Detection
    AF Contrast Detection
    AF Phase Detection
    Video Features
    Max Video Resolution None
    Microphone Port
    Headphone Port
    Connectivity
    Wireless Connectivity None
    HDMI
    USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
    Physical
    Environmental Sealing
    Water Proof
    Dust Proof
    Shock Proof
    Crush Proof
    Freeze Proof
    Weight 930g
    Physical Dimensions 148 x 135 x 80mm
    Other Features
    Self Timer Yes (2, 5, 2 or 100 sec)
    Timelapse Recording
    GPS None
    Storage Type xD Picture Card, Compact Flash Type I or II
    Storage Slots 1
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